The global adoption of AI by organisations has increased dramatically, from 55% in 2023 to 72% in 2024, according to a global survey conducted by consulting firm McKinsey.
According to the research, 2024 has been the year of acceptance for AI, although 2023 may be considered the year of AI discovery for many firms worldwide. However, it should be mentioned that many technology users are equally cautious about the risks that come with it.
McKinsey stated that over two-thirds of survey respondents in nearly every region use AI, with the most significant rise in adoption found in professional services. Half of respondents say their organisations have adopted AI in two or more business functions, up from less than a third in 2023.
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However, businesses also recognise the diverse risks associated with AI, including data management, model management, and cybersecurity.
Organisations Embrace Gen AI Across Multiple Functions
Based on the report, 65% of respondents say their organisations regularly use gen AI in at least one business function, up from one-third last year.
The report also stated that an average organisation using gen AI does so in two functions, most often in marketing and sales, product and service development, and IT.
The report indicated that the most significant increase from 2023 is in marketing and sales, where reported adoption has more than doubled.
Compared with 2023, the report said respondents are much more likely to be using gen AI at work and even more likely to be using gen AI both at work and in their personal lives.
According to McKinsey, the online survey was conducted from February 22 to March 5, 2024, and it gained responses from 1,363 participants representing the full range of regions, industries, company sizes, functional specialities, and tenures.
Awareness of AI Technologies: Youth Drives Adoption
A comparable study conducted by the Reuters Institute and Oxford University, released last week, found that while the McKinsey research points to a rise in the use of AI, few people are aware of well-known AI technologies like Microsoft Copilot, Google’s Gemini, and ChatGPT. The researchers’ findings from the online vote, which was carried out in six countries—Argentina, Denmark, France, Japan, the UK, and the USA—that :
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Although there is widespread awareness of generative AI overall, a sizable minority of the public – between 20% and 30% of the online population in the six countries surveyed – have not heard of any of the most popular AI tools.
Talking about usage, ChatGPT is by far the most widely used generative AI tool in the six countries surveyed, two or three times more widespread than the following most widely used products, Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot.
Furthermore, teenagers and young adults are likelier to use generative AI products regularly. Averaging across all six countries, 56% of 18–24s say they have used ChatGPT at least once, compared to 16% of those aged 55 and above.
